Indonesia AirAsia X, a long-haul offshoot of the Malaysia AirAsia group, has gained clearance to begin flights between Melbourne and Bali’s Denpasar from 17 March.

“The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has issued an Air Operator’s Certificate to Indonesia AirAsia X. This means Indonesia AirAsia X now has CASA approval for flights between Melbourne and Denpasar,” the regulatory body said in a statement.

AirAsia X has been expanding aggressively on the Australian front in the past few years, flying routes to five Australian cities.